The government will seek to extend licensing hours across England and Wales to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced today (26 December 2021).

The Platinum Jubilee will mark Her Majesty’s 70-year reign and a blockbuster weekend of celebrations is planned. This will include a 4-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June until Sunday 5 June to allow the nation to celebrate this historic milestone.

To support the celebrations, the Home Office will shortly launch a public consultation on extending licensing hours for pubs, clubs and bars from the normal 11pm to 1am on Thursday 2, Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

Her Majesty The Queen is an example to us all – she has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness, and resolve throughout her remarkable reign.

The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic occasion, and it is right that the country should mark this celebration in a special way.

This extension will enable families, friends and communities across England and Wales to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty The Queen and mark her incredible service to our country.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

Next year we will celebrate an unprecedented milestone in our national life. No other British monarch has served for 70 years and it is fitting that, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, we toast Her Majesty for her dedication and service.

2022 will be a year of pride, celebration and coming together with the Platinum Jubilee alongside our other blockbuster events including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Unboxed, championing creativity in the UK.

Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the Home Secretary to make a licensing hours order, giving permission to premises to open for specified, extended hours to mark occasions of exceptional international, national or local significance.

The extension of licensing hours will be subject to a month’s public consultation, giving the public the opportunity to submit their views on the proposals as well as seeking the views of specific stakeholders, including the police, licensing authorities and alcohol awareness groups.

The public consultation will ask for an extension of licensing hours for premises already licensed for the sale of alcohol for consumption and premises already licensed for the provision of regulated entertainment.

The consultation will focus on whether licencing hours should be extended and the scope of a licensing hours order, including the dates, times, geographical extent and licensable activities to which it should apply.

Past national occasions where the government has extended licensing hours have included the royal wedding in 2018, when the government extended licensing hours until 1am for 2 nights to facilitate the country’s celebrations. Licensing hours have also previously been extended for The Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the FIFA World Cup in 2014, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and the royal wedding in 2011.

Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will see a 4-day bank holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June which includes Trooping the Colour, the lighting of beacons, a Service of Thanksgiving, a concert, Platinum Pageant and nation-wide street parties.

Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will form 1 of the 3 main pillars of landmark events taking place next year alongside Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the Unboxed festival, in addition to other events such as Coventry City of Culture and the centenary of the BBC.